Free William Lollis

October 26, 2025

Michael Moore is advocating for his brother William Lollis, who is serving a 92-year sentence for a nonviolent criminal threat charge from 2013 in Fresno County. The case allegedly involved significant racial bias, including Lollis's defense attorney calling him a racist slur during their consultation, which Judge Houry A. Sanderson dismissed as sarcasm without consequence.

Who is affected

William Lollis (incarcerated individual serving 92-year sentence)
Michael Moore (Lollis's brother and advocate)
The William Lollis family members: Dominique Lollis, Otis Lollis, Fred Lee, Feness Flores, Carolyn Augustus, Areba Frierson, and Marvin Rivers
Beth Lee (defense attorney who made racist remarks)
Judge Houry A. Sanderson (presiding judge)
DA Galston (prosecutor)

What action is being taken

Michael Moore and family members are appealing to the public to help publicize William Lollis's case on social, digital, and print media platforms.

Why it matters

This case highlights potential systemic racism and judicial misconduct within the Fresno County Court system, where a nonviolent offender received an excessive 92-year sentence allegedly resulting from racial bias, prosecutorial misconduct, and questionable judicial rulings. The case demonstrates how racial prejudice can compound throughout legal proceedings, from defense attorney conduct to judicial decisions, resulting in disproportionate punishment. The judge involved had previously been removed from another case involving a Black defendant for prejudice, suggesting a pattern of bias.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper